Where the United States Can Lead Once Again

A decade ago the United States used to lead in college graduation rates but has since lost its edge, ranking 12th among developed nations. The Atlantic's inaugural Innovation and America's Future Forum, live streaming on TheAtlantic.com starting at 8:30 am EST November 10, aims to discuss this very problem.

Last year, the College Board warned that falling behind could undermine our economic competitiveness. With our future prosperity at stake, this event is for everyone.

Helping to kick-off the forum at Washington, DC's Newseum is Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, who will give the keynote address at 8:30 am EST. Promptly following her is a panel discussion on how the government, industry, and post-secondary educational institutions should respond to the declining college graduation rate and how policymakers can ensure that future generations of workers develop the skills necessary to compete on the global stage.

You also can join the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #AtlanticAmericasFuture, and you can share your thoughts on how we can arm our workforce to innovate and prosper.

And as always, a special thanks to our underwriter, University of Phoenix, for helping to make this much needed dialogue possible.

Jay Lauf is a 23-year veteran of the publishing industry with stints on both the editorial and business sides at newspapers, trade and consumer magazines, and websites. Prior to joining The Atlantic in 2008 as VP/Publisher, he was the publisher of Wired magazine.